Willow Stream Spas are celebrating their fourth annual Gratitude Season during the months of October and November… so book your appointment now—only 20 days left!

Give back to causes you love, take away special experiences that you will remember for years to come… This special promotion is particularly beneficial for groups looking to indulge in full-day spa escapes. With a group visit to one of the award-winning Willow Stream Spas, the luxury spa brand of
Fairmont Hotels & Resort Spas, you will enjoy a top of the line spa experience, as well as thank you gifts that keep giving as a token of your ongoing support, including:

Spa-it-Forward: When guests leave their treatment, they will receive an envelope including a surprise spa offering for the guest and a friend. Created with a spirit of gratitude and a way to say thank you, spa guests receive a “thank you” for themselves and also an envelope with a special offer to Spa-it-Forward to someone they feel grateful for having in their lives – a co-worker, a relative or a dear friend. Spa-it-Forward thank yous can include: a 30-minute upgrade, a Spa Lunch or $25 off any 90-minute treatment.

“Garden” Spa’rties: When a guest brings two or more friends to a Willow Stream Spa and they each book a 60-minute spa treatment, Willow Stream will treat all to a spa lunch and complimentary spa gift during their visit – let friendships bloom at Willow Stream Spas!

To register with Willow Stream’s Gratitude Circle, guests can call the Willow Stream Spa of preference or email willowstream.spa@fairmont.com indicating their contact information, local spa preference and a spa experience coordinator will follow up to complete the registration process. Gratitude Season is offered at all Willow Stream Spa locations and is a reflection of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ enduring integration with their communities, offering great places to live, work and play.

Book Now to enjoy all of our Gratitude Programs at a Spa Below. When calling from Canada and the US, you must first dial 011 before dialing the phone numbers of our spas in Mexico, Europe and Asia.

Nothing sucks the life out of your skin like a long day of travel. Dry airplane cabin air, grimy airports, stale or greasy terminal food and the exhaustion that goes along with it all leave your skin looking dull. On a recent trip from humid New England to arid California, my chin broke out like a high school student, both from the change of climate as well as the aforementioned travel-related beauty-busters. Luckily I was prepared with all of my favorite mini-sized skin saviors – they rescued my face (and my friend’s wedding pictures) from impending travel doom.

Be Prepared:

First, you have to anticipate dryness even if you are not headed towards desert-like climes. The air you breathe in the cabin of an airplane is parched and though filtered, always feels germ-filled. Before flying, I am always certain to be apply my usual moisturizer generously. I also use a hydrating lotion on my arms and legs so when I land I don’t look like a scaly, flaky mess. In my carry-on, I tote a sample-sized jar of moisturizer (most cosmetics counters will give you one) and pat it on my face and décolletage in-flight so I can feel cool and refreshed. (Try: Clinique Moisture Surge.)

Never Neglect to Cleanse:

Removing the dirt from a day’s travel is paramount for staving off breakouts and lackluster complexion. Even if you get in late and only use an easy make-up remover wipe, (Neutrogena makes travel packs of their gentle wipes) – this lazy solution beats out hitting the pillow with bacteria and pore-clogging oil on your face. If you have time, (or energy, go through your whole cleansing and moisturizing routine.

Try to Avoid Sub-Par Skincare Products:

It’s certainly convenient to save on packing space and use the soap and lotion provided in a hotel (or borrow from the friends or family you are staying with.) If you have sensitive skin like I do, though, using products that aren’t right for my skin almost always result in redness, irritation and of course, breakouts. Take the time to scout out travel sizes of the products you know work for you. If you can’t buy them, make them yourself with mini, TSA friendly bottles from the drugstore. Using your familiar products will help keep your skin balanced and calm, even when the weather or climate is going haywire.

Remember Sunblock!

This is the most important traveling tip of all, for your face looking radiant and overall health. SPF 50 or above for your face, no exceptions.

If lack of sleep, are overly stressed, or indulge in a last minute airport burger leaving you with on-the-road-skin woes, fear not. Just remember to bring your trusty sulfur-based (it’s less drying than other acne busting ingredients) emergency treatment. My favorite is Origins Out of Trouble Mask. A dab on the blemish overnight leaves it shrunken and much less noticeable in the morning.

Taking the time to take care of your skin will mean gorgeous vacation photos and no unsightly blemishes or other facial misfortune. In addition to these easy tips just be sure you drink plenty of water (which you should be doing anyway), and get a good night’s rest after a rigorous day of vacationing. Happy Travels!

At its most basic, beauty begins with a pristine complexion. Whether a nod to the influence of minimalism or a means of directing focus to the clothing itself, bare face beauty was an omnipresent look at the international spring/summer ’12 presentations.

This aesthetic trend has evolved in a very polished, subtle direction that’s most often complemented by boyish eyebrows as well as natural or monochromatic shades on the eyes, lips and cheeks. Variations on the bare look for the upcoming season include an emphasis on a refined semi-matte complexion, monochromatic color, bronzer, bare or nude matte lips, a continuing fascination with brushed-up, masculine eyebrows, graphic shapes on the eyes and slightly toned down ‘60s-inspired eyeliner.

Though minimal, this highly impactful approach was selected for s/s ‘12 by several designers who typically opt for more sexy or dramatic styles. Donatela Versace’s models’ (right) fresh scrubbed faces and softly curled, center parted hair were breathtakingly youthful. Other standout examples of this extremely popular and highly accessible trend were seen at Carolina Herrera—where Diane Kendal used soft earth tones with muted pink lips for a very pretty and wearable effect—and at Rochas, where the look was complemented with a coiffed up-do that contrasted nicely with the side-parted, low ponytails sported by Missoni’s flesh-toned beauties. (Photo courtesy of Marcio Madeira/firstVIEW)

Designers who deviated from such extreme interpretations of bare drew slightly more attention to the eyes in the form of immaculate lashes and slightly ‘60s-inspired eyeliner. Jil Sander, who’s always one of our favorite resources for beauty inspiration, and Dolce & Gabbana both adopted this eye-emphasizing approach with lots of fluttering and, at the latter, seemingly chunky lashes.

At Gucci, Pat McGrath added a somewhat more dramatic impact to the look with a strong, almost graphic monochromatic shape. Models strutted like raccoon-eyed, art-deco punks with Luigi Merenu’s neatly pulled back bleached hair dyed in obvious contrasts of black that were reminiscent of Debbie Harry. At Rodarte, meanwhile, James Kiliardos chose dark ink blue shades for his version of this extremely visual style. On the softer side of the graphic spectrum, Philip Lim 3.1 featured a swipe of silver across the middle of models’ eyelids for a surreal effect, while Thierry Mugler offset a bare and slightly contoured look with battery acid green lips and slicked back hair.

While the latter may be slightly extreme for some, the overall aesthetic message is clear: beauty is once again at its most accessible. Choosing an appropriate, wearable style has never been easier.